Apoptosis of carrot nuclei inin vitro system induced by cytochrome c

The apoptosis of carrot nuclei induced in cytosol of carrot cells by cytochrome c is reported. This kind of cell-free apoptosis system of plant, CS-100, is an efficient In vitro inducing system. Several typical characteristics of apoptosis including chromatin condensation, margina-tion and apoptotic bodies could be detected, and the degradation of genome in carrot nuclei into nucleosomal fragments could be detected. TUNEL assay shows the specific breakage of 3'-OH ends of DNA strand. The results indicate that CS-100 is an efficient and easily-operated in vitro system to study the apoptotic mechanism in plant and the apoptosis in plant cells may share similar pathways to apoptosis in animal cells.     

Four new earthworm species of the genus Amynthas Kinberg (Oligochaeta: Megascolecidae) from the island of Hainan and Guangdong Province,China

This paper describes four new species of morrisi-group earthworms from Hainan and Guangdong Provinces, China: Amynthas instabilis sp. nov, Amynthas dilatatus sp. nov, Amynthas infuscuatus sp. nov. and Amynthas qiongzhongensis sp. nov. All four species have two pairs of spermathecal pores in 5/6–6/7; male pores in XVIII, 0.33 circumference ventrally apart, each on the top of a slightly raised porophore, surrounded by several tiny genital papillae, in a pulvinate pad with three to six circular folds. Characters of the spermathecae, prostate glands and other anatomical features easily distinguish the new species from earthworms previously reported from the morrisi-group.

http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:545E9152-C826-44A2-949E-402434D8493D.     

香烟烟雾提取物对人内皮细胞细胞色素C氧化酶活性及细胞凋亡的影响

目的探讨香烟烟雾提取物（cigarette smoking extract,CSE）对内皮细胞细胞色素C氧化酶（cytochmme Coxidase,COX）活性及凋亡的影响。方法体外培养ECV304,分别给予0％、0．5％、1％、5％CSE刺激12h,及5％CSE刺激0h、6h、12h、24h后,生化法检测COX活性;投射电镜和流式细胞仪观察细胞凋亡情况。结果CSE引起COX活性下降,且随着刺激浓度和时间的增加而下降（P〈0．05）;电镜示CSE干预组细胞出现明显的凋亡形态学改变;流式细胞仪结果示不同浓度CSE分别作用12h后凋亡率依次增高,除O％CSE组和0．5％CSE组间比较无统计学意义（P〉0．05）,余各组间比较均有统计学意义（P〈0．05）;5％CSE作用不同时间后,随着干预时间的延长细胞凋亡率逐渐升高（P〈0．05）。结论CSE抑制内皮细胞COX活性,呈浓度和时间依赖性;CSE诱导内皮细胞凋亡,呈浓度和时间依赖性;COX活性的下降可能在CSE所致的内皮细胞凋亡中具有重要作用。     

Mosquito (Diptera: Culicidae) fauna of the Iranian islands in the Persian Gulf

Mosquitoes of four Iranian islands (Abu-Musa, Hormuz, Larak and Qeshm), Hormozgan Province of southern Iran, were surveyed between 2005 Madison DR, Madison WP. 2005. MacClade 4.08 [Internet]. Sunderland (MA): Sinauer Associates, Inc. http://macclade.org/index.html  [Google Scholar] and 2007 Tamura, K, Dudley, J, Nei, M and Kumar, S. 2007. MEGA4: Molecular Evolutionary Genetics Analysis (MEGA) software version 4.0. Mol Biol Evol., 24: 1596–1599. [Crossref], [PubMed], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]. In 521 specimens collected, 14 species belonging to four genera were identified: Anopheles culicifacies Giles sensu lato (s.l.), An. dthali Patton, An. fluviatilis James s.l., An. stephensi Liston, An. turkhudi Liston, Culex bitaeniorhynchus Giles, Cx. perexiguus Theobald, Cx. pseudovishnui Colless, Cx. quinquefasciatus Say, Cx. sitiens Wiedemann, Cx. theileri Theobald, Cx. tritaeniorhynchus Giles, Culiseta longiareolata (Macquart) and Ochlerotatus (= Aedes) caspius (Pallas) s.l. This is the first record of all of these species on the islands. Cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) barcode sequences were used to confirm the taxonomic identity of An. stephensi, Cx. quinquefasciatus and Oc. caspius s.l. from the islands and mainland of Hormozgan Province, with genetic isolation noted in both Oc. caspius s.l. and Cx. quinquefasciatus samples collected in Abu-Musa Island. Morphological anomalies in island specimens of Cx. quinquefasciatus and Cx. pseudovishnui are discussed.     

A new genus and three new species of parasitoid wasp from Papua New Guinea and redescription of Trigonophatnus Cameron (Hymenoptera,Braconidae, Rogadinae)

ABSTRACT

Two new pill millipede species, namely Hyleoglomeris hoanglien sp. nov. and H. fanxipan sp. nov., are described from high elevations (approximately 2,800–2,900 m) of the Hoang Lien National Park, northern Vietnam. A new species, H. hoanglien sp. nov. is clearly distinguished by the telopods being short, stout and incrassate, femora strongly condensed, tibia without modifications, syncoxital lobe bifid trapeziform, and syncoxital horns with an apical seta and a spine. Hyleoglomeris fanxipan sp. nov., is diagnosed by the telopods being long and robust, tibia without modifications, syncoxital lobe roundly trapeziform, and syncoxital horns truncated at tip. COI-based DNA barcodes of the two species are also provided for the first time in the genus Hyleoglomeris. The K2P genetic distance between the two new species is 0.148. In addition, an identification key to the Vietnamese Hyleoglomeris species is also provided.

http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:6DEFED42-0D65-4F50-9D24-A0923B9D1709     

Mitochondrial association of alpha-synuclein causes oxidative stress

α-Synuclein is a neuron-specific protein that contributes to the pathology of Parkinson’s disease via mitochondria-related mechanisms. The present study investigated possible interaction of α-synuclein with mitochondria and consequences of such interaction. Using SHSY cells overexpressing α-synuclein A53T mutant or wild-type, as well as isolated rat brain mitochondria, the present study shows that α-synuclein localizes at the mitochondrial membrane. In both SHSY cells and isolated mitochondria, interaction of α-synuclein with mitochondria causes release of cytochrome c, increase of mitochondrial calcium and nitric oxide, and oxidative modification of mitochondrial components. These findings suggest a pivotal role for mitochondria in oxidative stress and apoptosis induced by α-synuclein. Received 27 December 2007; received after revision 7 February 2008; accepted 8 February 2008     

Herbivory in holometabolous and hemimetabolous insects: contrasts between Orthoptera and Lepidoptera

Summary Adaptation to a phytophagous diet involves physiological compromises that may be influenced by developmental constraints. In this review, we compare patterns of hostplant utilization with respect to nutrition and allelochemistry in representative holometabolous (lepidopteran) and hemimetabolous (orthopteran) species in order to identify those potential constraints. Overall in Lepidoptera greater molting efficiency and gut permeability, which enhance nutritional efficiency, result in higher exposure to allelochemicals and are associated with greater activity and inducibility of cytochrome P450 monoxygenase detoxication enzymes. In contrast, in Orthoptera, relative impermeability to allelochemicals due to the peritrophic membrane and cuticular sclerotization is associated with reduced nutritional efficiency and lower detoxication enzyme activity.